AWARDS WATCH | "No Country For Old Men" Tops NBR Awards

The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures announced their annual awards Wednesday afternoon, naming Joel and Ethan Coen's "No Country For Old Men" 2007's Best Film of the Year. The awards, which kick off a series of critics' awards announced throughout December and early January, also awarded the Coens best adapted screenplay and gave the cast, which includes Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Kelly MacDonald, its award for best ensemble cast. "No Country" joined "The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford," "Atonement," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "The Bucket List," "Into The Wild," "Juno," "The Kite Runner," "Lars and the Real Girl," "Michael Clayton" and "Sweeney Todd" in the organization's top ten list. Last year, four of the five Academy Award nominees for Best Picture were featured in the NBR's top ten.

The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures announced their annual awards Wednesday afternoon, naming Joel and Ethan Coen's "No Country For Old Men" 2007's Best Film of the Year. The awards, which kick off a series of critics' awards announced throughout December and early January, also awarded the Coens best adapted screenplay and gave the cast, which includes Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Kelly MacDonald, its award for best ensemble cast. "No Country" joined "The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford," "Atonement," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "The Bucket List," "Into The Wild," "Juno," "The Kite Runner," "Lars and the Real Girl," "Michael Clayton" and "Sweeney Todd" in the organization's top ten list. Last year, four of the five Academy Award nominees for Best Picture were featured in the NBR's top ten.

"2007 was an extremely exciting and challenging year for the NBR in determining the winners in the various categories," said NBR President Annie Schulhof. "We screened 282 films and the diversity of these narratives is reflected in our 2007 Ten Best Films. "No Country For Old Men" is a brilliant convergence of extraordinary directing, a masterful screenplay, and incredible ensemble performances. We are also proud to honor the special career achievements of Michael Douglas, Roger Deakins, and Robert Osborne, all of whom are truly gifted and deserving artists."

Other big winners included Tim Burton, won was awarded best director for "Sweeney Todd," George Clooney, who won best actor for "Michael Clayton," and Julie Christie, winner of best actress for her performance in Sarah Polley's "Away From Her". Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro's "Body of War" took best documentary, while Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" was at the top of the NBR's best foreign film list. Neither "Butterfly" nor fellow French film "La Vie En Rose" (which also was named in the NBR's top five foreign film) are eligible for the Academy Award for best foreign-language film, as France opted for "Persepolis," which shared the NBR's Freedom of Expression award with Denzel Washington's "The Great Debaters."

Casey Affleck's won for best supporting actor for "The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, while Amy Ryan was nodded for supporting actress for Casey's other 2007 release, brother Ben Affleck's "Gone Baby Gone." "Gone" also took an award for Ben Affleck's directorial debut. His wife Jennifer Garner's film, "Juno," extended the Affleck family accolades, as it took home best breakthrough performance for Ellen Page, as well as an award for Diablo Cody, who tied "Lars and the Real Girl"'s Nancy Oliver for best original screenplay.

Formed in 1909, the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures works to "foster commentary on all aspects of film production, to endow scholarships for film students and to underwrite educational film programs and seminars". Last year, they awarded eventual Oscar winners Martin Scorcese, Forest Whitaker and Helen Mirren, and named Clint Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima" the best film of the year. The awards will be presented on January 15th, 2007 at Cipriani's 42nd St in New York City.

Top Five Documentary Films (In alphabetical order):"Darfur Now""In The Shadown of the Moon""Nanking""Taxi To The Darkside""Toots"

Top Independent Films (In alphabetical order):"Away From Her""Great World of Sound""Honeydripper""In The Valley of Elah""A Mighty Heart""The Namesake""Once""The Savages""Starting Out in the Evening""Waitress"

Career Achievement: Michael DouglasWilliam K. Everson Film History Award: Robert OsbourneCareer Achievement in Cinematography: Roger DeakinsThe BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression: "The Great Debaters" and "Persepolis"